Mets blog: Mets have a history of beating the Cubs when it counts

If you’re a believer in destiny you might have picked the Cubs to win the NLCS.Because as many people have noted, the movie “Back To The Future II” predicted that the Cubs would win the 2015 World Series. But after Chicago fell behind 0-3 in the series to the Mets on Tuesday night, it’s starting to appear that the Cubs will once again be a stepping stone for the Mets on their way to another World Series appearance.

In 1969, the year the “Miracle Mets” shocked the country by winning the World Series, the Cubs played a big part in allowing them to get that far. Chicago led the then newly-formed NL East for 155 days before falling apart in September, losing 17 of their last 25 games while watching the Mets catch and pass them. One of the key moments during that collapse came on Sept. 9 when the Cubs visited the Mets at Shea Stadium. During that game, in which the Mets won 7-1 and shrunk the Cubs’ division lead to a half a game, a black cat was seen passing by Cubs captain and third baseman Ron Santo in the on-deck circle. The Mets overtook the Cubs the next day and never looked back.

The Cubs have had to watch the Mets celebrate postseason berths on two separate occasions, once in 1973 and once in 1986. In 1973, the Mets clinched the division against theCubs on the last day of the regular season and partied in the visitor’s locker room in Wrigley Field. 13 years later, the Mets would down the Cubs at Shea on Sept. 17 to seal the division on the way to their most recent World Series win. The Cubs will be spectators to the Mets’ revelry again, barring a miracle.